| Can I Be Exempted From My General Education Elective Courses?
Yes,
you can request an exemption if one of the following
applies:
- You can show that you have successfully completed
a post-secondary college or university course that
addresses one of the General Education themes required
by your program. Read about the exemption
process.
- You
believe that you have acquired knowledge and skills
equivalent to a post-secondary course through work
or life experiences. In this case, you will need to
apply for a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR). - Read
about the PLAR process.
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| Exemption Process |
| Use
this process if you have successfully completed
a course that addresses one or more of the
general education themes that have been identified
for the general education elective(s) in your
program. Even
if you expect to get an exemption, be sure
to select a general education elective and
register. If you are successful in your
exemption application, you will be withdrawn
from the course. |
Step
1: Identify the Themes
for your Program
Visit our "What General Education Electives Do I Need To Take?" page.
Choose
your program level and identify the General
Education Themes for the electives
being offered to you. |
Step
2: Complete
an Internal or External Exemption Form
Obtain an exemption form from the Registrar’s
office in C-150
• Use an Internal Exemption Form for
courses you have taken at Algonquin. No
transcript is required.
• Use a Request for Transfer of Academic
Credit (External Exemption) Form for courses
you have taken at other post-secondary institutions.
An official transcript and a course outline is required; there
is a $10.00 processing fee per course.
- The course you have taken must be post-secondary
- The course must have been at least 45
hours long.
- The course must address one of the General
Education themes specified for your
program.
- You must have received a mark of C or
better in the course.
- The course must have been offered by an accredited institution.
|
Step
3: Submit your Exemption Form to
the Registrar’s Office
-
In the box Course Exemption Requested, write
the general education theme number (e.g.
GED 04).
- In the box Algonquin Course Title,
write the name of the theme (e.g. Personal
Understanding).
- For general education exemptions, do not
write the details of a specific course e.g.
FIN 2300 - Personal Finance.
- In the box Basis for Exemption, write
details from your official transcript that
apply.
- Assemble your supporting documentation,
which includes a transcript showing
your successful course completion and a
course outline.
- You will receive a letter from the Registrar's Office if your exemption is denied. To confirm your exempt status, please check ACSIS to see an EX on your grades for that term.
- If you are already registered in a general education elective, please write the number of that elective on the exemption form at "Course Number"
- The Registrar’s Office will
de-register you from your general education
elective if your application is approved
by the academic administrator.
For
additional information, contact your program
coordinator or your school general education
representative.
|
|
| Prior
Learning Assessment and Recognition Processes |
Use
this process if you have skills from life or work experience
that meet one of the general education themes specified
for your program.
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is a process that assists
adult learners to identify, articulate and demonstrate
relevant learning acquired through life and work experiences
and translate this learning into college credit.
There is a fee of $103.79 per course or theme.
You may choose to apply for a general education course
credit using PLAR by demonstrating that you have acquired
learning equivalent to the course learning requirements
in a specific general education elective course or by
demonstrating that you have college level learning that
addresses one of the Themes required by your program.
Information
about Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition may be found at http://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/plar/
|
Step
1: Meet with the PLAR Administrator
Before you apply for a Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition you should
meet with the PLAR Administrator, Program Coordinator or
Academic Advisor to discuss your eligibility for PLAR.
You must obtain a PLAR application form from the PLAR Administrator.
The PLAR Administrator will provide advice and information
and will determine your eligibility.
- Woodroffe Campus: PLAR Office, Room C135
- Pembroke: Jamie Bramburger, Room 223
- Perth Campus: Samantha Arnott, Room 1
The PLAR Administrator will provide information about how
you may demonstrate your learning and assist you through
the processes of PLAR. If applying for credit for a specific
general education course, you may be asked to write a
challenge exam or demonstrate your learning in other ways.
If applying for credit for a theme, you will be asked
to compile a learning file and may be asked to participate
in an interview. |
Step 2: Review the Learning Requirements
of the Course
If you are challenging a specific general
education elective course, you should review the course
outline to make sure you are comfortable with the learning
requirements of the course.
Visit Course Outlines to review the general education elective course
outlines. |
Step
3: Submit your Prior Learning Assessment Application and Recognition to
the Registrar’s Office.
The completed application form and the assessment fee
of $103.79 (per course/per theme) must be submitted
to the Registrar’s Office before the assessment
takes place.
|
Step 4: Demonstrate your Skills
After the application form has been processed you may
submit your learning file to the PLAR Office, or proceed
with your challenge examination.
Experts in the College who have an in-depth knowledge
of the course or theme being challenged will evaluate
your prior learning. You will be expected to demonstrate
learning that is equivalent to the learning required
to pass the course.
The PLAR Office will advise you regarding the outcome
of your Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition. Once the PLAR credits
have been achieved, the Registrar will record your credits
on your official transcript. Your PLAR credits will be
recorded as a grade when possible; otherwise a non-graded
"CR" credit designation will be assigned. |
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